Qualifications

The Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) is a new way of recognising skills and qualifications. It does so by awarding credit for qualifications units. It enables people to gain qualifications at their own pace along flexible routes.

You will notice that QCF qualifications do not use NOS as assessment units - QCF units are used for assessment on the new qualifications framework. The format of the units are prescribed by the regulators, but the content is based on the NOS, which is why you will find links between QCF units and NOS throughout the NOS Finder pages. You will notice on occasion that there is more than one QCF unit linked to a NOS record; this is because the flexibility of the QCF allows us to develop two versions of a NOS to reflect increasing complexities in the same functional area.

QCF units should only be used for assessment of qualifications; NOS should be used for all the other functions that can be found in the About NOS and Using NOS webpages.

For more information about the QCF and the differences between NOS and QCF units, please use the contact us link at the bottom of this page.

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